World of Design: Japanordic, an International Love Affair
How can countries that are so far apart geographically be so close when it comes to design? Three experts explain
Sara Norrman
April 2, 2016
At first glance, Japan and the Nordic countries are as different as night and day, with no cultural heritage or history to bind them together. But take a closer look, and patterns start to emerge. The Finns’ near obsession with the sauna, and the Japanese love of ritual bathing. The Swedes’ predilection for raw fish in the form of herring, and Japan’s unbeatable sushi. The Norwegians’ striving for the quiet and sanctitude of nature, and Japan’s harmonious gardens.
But the Nordic nation that perhaps has the most active design relationship with Japan is Denmark. Theirs is a trade and cultural exchange that started about 150 years ago and keeps growing stronger. Here, three design insiders — Aya Okamura of Ayanomimi, Thomas Lykke of OEO Studio and Oki Sato of Nendo — reveal why.
But the Nordic nation that perhaps has the most active design relationship with Japan is Denmark. Theirs is a trade and cultural exchange that started about 150 years ago and keeps growing stronger. Here, three design insiders — Aya Okamura of Ayanomimi, Thomas Lykke of OEO Studio and Oki Sato of Nendo — reveal why.
The poster designed by Swedish Studio Esinam was inspired by Japanese aesthetics and shows the modern version of the Japanordic style.
The Danes have a fan of Japan from long ago to thank for their current association. Danish naval Lt. William Carstensen visited Japan in 1863, soon after the Asian nation opened its borders after centuries of seclusion. Carstensen became fascinated with the country, its culture and, above all, its many beautiful shops. He wrote a book, Japans Hovedstad og Japaneserne (Japan’s Capital and the Japanese), that became a hit back home and started the trend of Japonisme in Denmark.
The Danes have a fan of Japan from long ago to thank for their current association. Danish naval Lt. William Carstensen visited Japan in 1863, soon after the Asian nation opened its borders after centuries of seclusion. Carstensen became fascinated with the country, its culture and, above all, its many beautiful shops. He wrote a book, Japans Hovedstad og Japaneserne (Japan’s Capital and the Japanese), that became a hit back home and started the trend of Japonisme in Denmark.
This teak tray and Formica dishes for serving a Japanese meal were designed by Snorre Stephensen in 1984. The set is on display as part of the “Learning From Japan” exhibition at the Designmuseum Danmark in Copenhagen.
The Danish-Japanese melting pot is set to come fully to a boil next year — 150 years after the two countries started trading. “2017 will be the year when we celebrate 150 years of friendship and trade. Japanese and Danish companies are already warming up, as everybody wants to be part of it,” says Aya Okamura, whose company, Ayanomimi, promotes Danish design in Japan. As part of the celebrations, Designmuseum Danmark in Copenhagen is showing an ambitious and revealing exhibition on display until September 2017 titled Learning From Japan. Curator Mirjam Gelfer-Jørgensen emphasizes that the craft connection between the two countries is as strong as ever, and that Japan is likely the most popular destination for Danish craftspeople and designers to visit during their studies.
The Danish-Japanese melting pot is set to come fully to a boil next year — 150 years after the two countries started trading. “2017 will be the year when we celebrate 150 years of friendship and trade. Japanese and Danish companies are already warming up, as everybody wants to be part of it,” says Aya Okamura, whose company, Ayanomimi, promotes Danish design in Japan. As part of the celebrations, Designmuseum Danmark in Copenhagen is showing an ambitious and revealing exhibition on display until September 2017 titled Learning From Japan. Curator Mirjam Gelfer-Jørgensen emphasizes that the craft connection between the two countries is as strong as ever, and that Japan is likely the most popular destination for Danish craftspeople and designers to visit during their studies.
A poster for a Japanese exhibition in the zoological garden in Copenhagen, 1902, is by Valdemar Andersen.
The cross-pollination shows in the products that come out of the countries. This stool seen at the exhibition is produced by Fredericia Furniture and designed by
Hans Sandgren Jakobsen. And would Le Klint have produced its iconic folded lampshades without influences from the Japanese lanterns in rice paper?
Hans Sandgren Jakobsen. And would Le Klint have produced its iconic folded lampshades without influences from the Japanese lanterns in rice paper?
Thomas Lykke of OEO Studio in Copenhagen says the Japanordic connection has become trendy in the past few years, though that’s a term he doesn’t like. “Trends tend to pass by, and the Japanese-Danish connection is far beyond that,” Lykke says. “I think it’s actually part of our DNA rather than a trend. It’s based on our love of rituals, humbleness and deep respect, both for craftsmanship and objects themselves.”
OEO Studio has offices in Copenhagen and the Japanese cities of Kyoto and Tokyo, and works with brand strategy, creative direction and product design in both countries. For Lykke, the secret of Japanese design lies in what can’t be expressed. “It’s the unsaid in Japanese design that’s so fantastic, whether in textiles, objects or ceramics. It’s the same as with good poetry or good art: The design is everything that can’t be said in words.”
OEO Studio has offices in Copenhagen and the Japanese cities of Kyoto and Tokyo, and works with brand strategy, creative direction and product design in both countries. For Lykke, the secret of Japanese design lies in what can’t be expressed. “It’s the unsaid in Japanese design that’s so fantastic, whether in textiles, objects or ceramics. It’s the same as with good poetry or good art: The design is everything that can’t be said in words.”
The team at OEO has created products with craftspeople from Kyoto and is impressed by the skills these artisans possess in a world where mass production is the norm. In 2012, six crafts companies from Kyoto joined with OEO to create the umbrella brand Japan Handmade, which launched at Maison & Objet in 2013 and now sells at select retailers. Here we see the Ki-Oke stool in sawara cypress, right, and in a limited edition of lignified Japanese cedar with a natural 2,000-year-old patina. The stools are designed by OEO Studio and crafted by Shuji Nakagawa.
“Some of the companies we work with are 400 years old, and they have kept their skills way better than in Denmark and most other places in Europe. It feels fresh and old at the same time,” Lykke says.
“Some of the companies we work with are 400 years old, and they have kept their skills way better than in Denmark and most other places in Europe. It feels fresh and old at the same time,” Lykke says.
Cups, trays and vases in porcelain with color glazing are from the Japan Handmade collection, designed by OEO Studio and crafted by Asahiyaki.
The traditional way of working is not just understood by Lykke and his colleagues, but is also something they applaud.
“Our business partners and friends in Tokyo ask us how we can work with craftsmen in Kyoto, as they are so closed off or traditionalist. They are honest and authentic, with a deep passion in what they do. Just like us,” Lykke says.
The traditional way of working is not just understood by Lykke and his colleagues, but is also something they applaud.
“Our business partners and friends in Tokyo ask us how we can work with craftsmen in Kyoto, as they are so closed off or traditionalist. They are honest and authentic, with a deep passion in what they do. Just like us,” Lykke says.
This sense of finding what’s new in what’s already there is shared by Oki Sato, the founder of design studio Nendo and one of the most prolific Japanese designers in the Nordic countries. Sato has worked with BoConcept, Swedese, David design, Louis Poulsen, Wästberg and Offecct, and was guest of honor at the biggest design fair in Scandinavia, Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, in 2013.
“A lot of companies are interested in new techniques and materials, but it’s not about finding new things — there’s always something new. I try to look for old things, old techniques that are not used anymore, old materials that can be mixed to create something new and be very competitive in the market as well,” Sato says.
He also talks about design as a way of connecting an object and people, slowing things down in our hectic lives. “Today, the sheer amount and speed of information have become so complex and unmanageable for us that one of the most important roles as a designer today is to put things in order, and present them to people in a form that’s easy to understand and familiar to them,” he says.
He also talks about design as a way of connecting an object and people, slowing things down in our hectic lives. “Today, the sheer amount and speed of information have become so complex and unmanageable for us that one of the most important roles as a designer today is to put things in order, and present them to people in a form that’s easy to understand and familiar to them,” he says.
So now we know what the Danes see in Japanese design, and perhaps have a better idea of why the Scandinavians appreciate the skills and crafts from that country so much. But how about the other way around? Do the Japanese like Danish design and, if so, why?
If anybody knows, it’s Okamura. She was born and grew up in Copenhagen, as her parents moved there to start a design company in the 1970s. And though Okamura has a Japanese passport, she has one foot firmly in each camp. “I think the connection comes from having been forced to make something out of very little. Neither of our countries has vast natural resources, so we respect what we have and work with it.”
If anybody knows, it’s Okamura. She was born and grew up in Copenhagen, as her parents moved there to start a design company in the 1970s. And though Okamura has a Japanese passport, she has one foot firmly in each camp. “I think the connection comes from having been forced to make something out of very little. Neither of our countries has vast natural resources, so we respect what we have and work with it.”
Having grown up in a house designed by world-renowned architect Arne Jacobsen, where her father grew his JapaDanish design company, O&M, together with Erik Marquardsen, it was no wonder Okamura decided to continue that legacy. Her company, Ayanomimi, works with textile designer Krestine Kjærholm (daughter of designer and craftsman Poul Kjærholm) in Japan, and launched the rug collection Sæson, inspired by the Japanese lifestyle, where there’s a need for small and functional rugs.
“I knew that the Japanese do not use rugs and carpets as we do in Scandinavia. There is simply no tradition of using rugs that measure [about 4½ by 6½ feet],” Okamura says. “I tried to imagine my grandmother’s house in Japan, and I immediately thought about the entrance rugs. In Japan, you take off your shoes at the entrance, and a typical Japanese house has a step up and a small rug to cover this entrance space. The existing rugs are not designed, but it is a pity since it is the first thing you see when you enter. One piece of Sæson has the dimension [of about 2 feet by 2 feet], and if you use two pieces, it fits perfectly into a typical Japanese entrance. ‘A Danish design rug for a typical Japanese entrance’ — this idea and way of thinking we felt was a niche. The Danish manufacturer Pure Carpet told me that they had never made such a small piece of rug before.”
Okamura also is helping to open a shop in Osaka, Japan, in April of this year for Tobias Jacobsen, grandson of Arne Jacobsen. “The vision is to tell the untold stories about Arne Jacobsen and, at the same time, create new relations for Tobias in Japan,” she says. “Our task is to create and manage new projects that are based on a Danish-Japanese collaboration.
“When Japanese people buy Danish design, they also buy a bit of the lifestyle,” Okamura says. “They want time at home with the kids, a good work-life balance, to live a sustainable lifestyle, cycle to work…. The products create that peaceful feeling in a stressful urban life in Japan.”
Okamura also is helping to open a shop in Osaka, Japan, in April of this year for Tobias Jacobsen, grandson of Arne Jacobsen. “The vision is to tell the untold stories about Arne Jacobsen and, at the same time, create new relations for Tobias in Japan,” she says. “Our task is to create and manage new projects that are based on a Danish-Japanese collaboration.
“When Japanese people buy Danish design, they also buy a bit of the lifestyle,” Okamura says. “They want time at home with the kids, a good work-life balance, to live a sustainable lifestyle, cycle to work…. The products create that peaceful feeling in a stressful urban life in Japan.”
This water pitcher, teapot, milk jug and small container, in copper and brass, are from the Japan Handmade collection, designed by OEO Studio and crafted by Kaikado.
“We don’t design for short periods; we want design with purpose and a reason that will be relevant 50 years from now,” Lykke says. “And we are, in our hectic lives, looking for meaningful ways to live, through slowness, craftsmanship and rituals — whether that’s a tea ceremony in Tokyo or a coffee break in Copenhagen.”
More
9 Life Lessons From Nordic Style
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“We don’t design for short periods; we want design with purpose and a reason that will be relevant 50 years from now,” Lykke says. “And we are, in our hectic lives, looking for meaningful ways to live, through slowness, craftsmanship and rituals — whether that’s a tea ceremony in Tokyo or a coffee break in Copenhagen.”
More
9 Life Lessons From Nordic Style
4 Japanese Homes Proudly Speak to Their Surroundings
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It makes sense that Japanese and Danish design sensibilities are on-point now, and always. In both cultures, traditional craft is paired down to its essentials, and is able to be both timeless and modern at the same time. Thank you for an insightful article.
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